The use of a surgical microscope in medicine and dentistry improves the quality of patient care. The basic surgical microscope is an optical instrument, either mechanical, electrical or both, having a combination of lenses that provide the user with a stereoscopic, high quality magnified image of small structures within the surgical or treatment area. The use of the surgical microscope includes many medical and surgical disciplines and is also used extensively in dentistry. Many dental school teaching programs in the U.S. now require training on the microscope as part of their curriculum.
The surgical microscope is designed to allow the user to concentrate on the surgical procedure while remaining comfortable and free of eye-strain and also freeing both the user's hands to operate. Major advantages of using the surgical microscope are greater magnification and higher illumination of areas that could not be viewed or treated properly otherwise.
Microscopes are used either directly by positioning the magnifying lenses on top of the viewed object, or indirectly by using a hand held mirror that would reflect the object's image into the magnifying lenses. Indirect viewing under the microscope is widely used as it makes it easier to view an object in the human body that could not be viewed directly. An example of such viewing is the treatment of upper posterior teeth during endodontic or restorative dental procedures because in such treatment it is often impossible to a have a direct view of the working areas without the use of a hand held reflective mirror.
However, the use of a hand held reflective mirror engenders its own set of problems and incurs other disadvantages. Among these disadvantages is the restriction of the user's ability to use both hands since one hand is occupied holding the mirror. This is of particular importance in performing delicate tasks where the use of two hands can be crucial. This also can lead to hand fatigue in that the use of one hand can lead to increased time for the procedure. Furthermore, continuous focus adjustment is needed during procedures using the microscope, thus forcing the user to continually interrupt the procedure to adjust and readjust the focus of the viewing area.
Attempts have been made to mount a dental mirror on the user's finger as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,486 to Ballard so as to permit finger manipulation of the mirror in the patient's mouth. However; even though the mirror is not hand-held, it still requires the use of one of the user's hands, thus resulting in all problems and deficiencies associated with the use of hand-held mirrors. Furthermore, the finger mounted mirror shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,486 is not readily adjustable in use and does not have a wide range of adjustments.
Other attempts to attach a mirror to dental suction tips, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,622 to Brossoit, have also proven to have their own deficiencies. Although they do allow hands-free operation, the physical attachment to the suction tip limits the usefulness of the mirror as it cannot be positioned in a relatively stationary location in the mouth, but rather must follow with the dental suction tip. Furthermore, the clip on device does not allow a secure attachment that locks the mirror into place and does not permit dislodgement through use. Finally, the means of attachment to the dental suction tips greatly limits the range of motion and positionability of the mirror in the patient's mouth.
Also, mirrors need to be able to have their position readily and easily changed relative to the surgical microscope so as to permit the best possible view of the area and to allow sufficient illumination.